Not What It Seems
by Villain Princess
Summary: Flora and Musa are two of the best duelists in their generation. Two weeks prior to a huge duel, their friends from Magix come and the two decide to show them what's been happening since they were kids. How they've become the duelists they are today. How every journey has shaped them, and it all starts with the Shadow Riders, and a particular missing student.
1. Chapter 1

"Does anyone know anything about this prep school that Flora and Musa attended?" Bloom wonders as she and the other Winx and Specialists fly in one of the Red Fountain ships to fly to this realm of Domino where Flora and Musa attended some sort of elite prep school. Said school is having a reunion and Flora and Musa invited them to show them a part of their lives that not many people see.

"I'm afraid not." Tecna replies. "Timmy and I have looked at numerous schools in the realm of Domino and none of them have records of Flora or Musa attending, not even pictures of former students look like them."

"Didn't they say that their school was on an island?" Layla interjects.

Timmy nods. "They did, but all we could get was that it is called Duel Academy, other than that we couldn't access any records of the school."

As they enter the atmosphere of Domino, some kind of magic hits them but they aren't sure what it is. When they all look up, they are above an island in the middle of the sea that has a huge building with three smaller ones. "Look outside." Stella says as she sees creatures inhabiting the island. There are bug creatures, dinosaur creatures, blob, birds, even humanoid-hybrid creatures.

"What are these things?" Brandon wonders as he and the other Specialists start mentally preparing themselves in case they need to attack the creatures.

"I have no idea, and why are they surrounding people and what those cards that they're playing that have their creatures attack or stop their opponents?"

Just then a comm comes in and up on the screen reveals a man with a brown beard that is graying, bald head, wearing a red coat with a yellow shirt underneath and a red tie. "I am Chancellor Sheppard, how may I help you?"

The Winx and Specialists look at each other before Helia answers. "Flora and Musa invited us."

"Ah. You must be the friends they've told us about. There is a dock that you can park your ship. I will let them know that you are here."

Timmy pulls up a map and gives the coordinates to the others who steer the ship to the docks. Once they've landed and exit the ship a guy around their age is standing outside. He has orange spiky-hair, grey eyes, yellow tattoos in the shape of triangles under his eyes, yellow lines underneath, and an M with a dot on his forehead. He's wearing a yellow shirt, a brown vest, blue jeans, boots, gloves, and has a headband that has two rings on the right side.

"Hi there, I'm Crow Hogan." He introduces himself. "And if my memory serves me, you all are Bloom, Stella, Tecna, Layla, Sky, Brandon, Timmy, Riven and Helia."

"How do you know about us?" Riven inquires.

"Flora and Musa. They've told me all about you guys. Man, I thought that when they left of Alfea their lives would actually calm down a bit. Come on, they're in the courtyard of the school and are awaiting your arrival." Crow indicates for them to follow him and they do, hoping that they can get some answers as to what is going on.

* * *

"So, these monsters are holograms yet someone can still feel the damage if they use direct attacks?" Brandon sums up. "And these spell and trap cards can help their player and stop their opponent?"

Crow nods as they enter the courtyard of Duel Academy. "That pretty much sums it up."

Closer to the entrance is Flora wearing a black corset with a pink bow in the middle, a pink sweater, a hot pink shirt with a black belt and black boots. Her hair is in a high ponytail. Across from her is Musa with her long blue pair in two down pigtails, a red hat, white shirt with red straps and green lines going across her chest, red shorts with white stripes on the side and white flip flops.

On Musa's side of the field there is a white dragon that appears to be illuminating some sort of dust, a black and red dragon, and a black dragon with red eyes. On Flora's there is a light blue dragon with golden armor that appears to be the embodiment of a fairy, a black dragon with red rose petals and a couple of small birds.

"Now, I overlay my Lyrilusc Cobalt Sparrow and Lyrilusc Sapphire Swallow to build the overlay network! I Xyz summon Lyrilusc Assembled Nightingale!"

Flora's two small birds turn into small orbs of purple and yellow respectively before they disappear into a portal on the ground and out comes a beautiful humanoid-bird creature. "And with my Assembled Nightingale's ability, I choose to attack. Go, Talons of Rage!"

Musa grunts as the creature attacks her twice, dropping her 2000 life points down to 1000.

"Nice job, now it's my turn. Stardust show Black Rose how the game is played, you to Red Dragon Archfiend! Red Eyes, destroy her Assembly Nightingale!"

Stardust goes over to Flora's Black Rose, causing both monsters to be destroyed along with Ancient Fairy and Red Dragon Archfiend. Musa's life points go down to 300 and Flora's goes from 3100 to 2000. Red Eyes tries to attack Assembly Nightingale, but Flora activates her monster's ability and flies of Red Eyes's blast and attacks Musa, causing Musa to lose the duel.

"Nice job, Flora." A guy with blue-hair with blue-grey eyes tells her. "Your strategy is improving, especially since you've started using Fusion, Synchro, Xyz, and now Pendulum summoning in your tactics."

"Really? Thanks Zane."

"That was amazing Flora! The way you first used some of your Melodious monsters to get Musa, and then she. . . . and then you! This was one of the best duels between you two yet!" Chatta says.

"Thanks Chatta."

"Ladies and gentleman, I hate to interrupt but I believe we have guests." Tune informs them.

Musa, Flora, and Zane look to see the Winx and Specialists standing there along with Crow. Musa waves them over and Crow brings them over, rather he runs and he, Flora and Zane fall to the ground in one group hug. All laughing. "Hey everyone, you've already met Flora's cousin Crow, and this her other cousin Zane."

"Cousins?"

"Well, actually Crow and I cousins because my mom is his dad's sister. Zane and Crow are cousins because Crow's mom is the sister to Zane's dad. Even though Zane and I aren't related, we still consider each other cousins because we've grown up together." Flora explains.

"Yeah, now you two need to rest. Your big duel is in two weeks and after what we've just been through I suggest that you two take a rest for as long as you can." Crow tells Flora and Musa.

The fairies and heroes look at each other. As the trio of cousins get up off the ground, Musa explains to them that they just got done with one heck of an adventure that she says really all started when she and Flora were seven and had to duel against the Shadow Riders (six, if they count the year that Crowler tried to get them expelled because he didn't think they were good enough duelists despite who their mother's are).

Flora leads them inside where they go to a huge room where there are chairs and couches near a huge screen. Digit goes behind it to make sure everything is plugged in right, and when she gives the all clear Musa tells them all to sit down as she uses the remote to turn on the screen.

It's high time their friends see just how chaotic their lives have been.


	2. Chapter 2

The screen turns on and on it appears Crow and Musa as little kids, standing in the courtyard of Duel Academy.

* * *

Crow's face is clear of his tattoos and his headband does not any rings on it. Musa's hair is long and has two short side tails on either side of her head. Instead of wearing regular clothes, Musa is wearing a white shirt (with a black undershirt) that has a mini blue cape, a blue skirt, boots, and belt; with a pair of blue gloves on her arms.

Crow is wearing a yellow shirt under a red jacket that has markings similar to Musa's. He's wearing dark pants with red shoes. "Musa!" Crow shouts as he sees her. Musa turns and smiles, waving to him.

"Hey Crow, where's Flora? I know you two don't always hang out but you're like twins."

"She's fine. Aunt Alyssa should be bringing her here sometime." Crow lies. Not many people know what is really happening with Flora, and Crow wants to keep it a secret. He just hopes that Flora gets her own individual room and not room with Musa, otherwise it's going to be a hard year.

"Crow," a woman calls out. She has long orange-hair with some strands standing out against her face from her ponytail. "Come on, we need to get you settled in."

"Okay Mom." Crow then waves goodbye to Musa as he goes over to his mother as they walk to his dorm.

* * *

"How old are you guys, and Flora where are you?" Brandon asks. "Because from the looks of things you can't be more than six-to-eight-years-old."

"Things aren't that simple." Flora tries to explain. "You see our Moms kind of paved the way for Musa and I. They've had their fair share of duels that have put them into positions of saving the magical dimension or plunging it into complete darkness."

"What does that. . . . . Flora where did you get those bracelets, and where can I get them?" Stella wonders as she sees two silver bracelets on Flora's right arm. One has a pink sphere gem that has silver petals surrounding it with the other has a yellow diamond gem and has wings on either side of the gem.

"Er, Flo's bracelets are a one of a king, Stell." Musa answers. "Plus she's had those bracelets for a long time."

"How long?" Bloom inquires.

"How about we just continue watching."

* * *

Crow's rooms is packed away and he is waving goodbye to his mom as he over looks the sea, where his mother is at the beach making a portal back to Linphea.

 _A new year means time to search. Don't worry Flora, I am going to find you and take down the person who took you._ Crow thinks before he goes back inside his room.

In her room, Musa is supposed to be sharing a room with someone but she doesn't know who. It's not Flora, Flora has her own room this year. Too bad, Musa has been hoping to pull out her old dueling mat so she and Flora can duel without their duel disks.

Sighing Musa goes over to her dresser and pulls out the multiple decks she and Flora and Crow have built ever since they were babies. There's the elemental heroes, Cyber Angel, Cyber Roid, and several more. The only thing missing is Flora's plant deck that she uses when Synchro summoning her Black Rose Dragon.

It's almost time for dinner, and Flora still hasn't shown up yet. Musa doesn't like this, but Flora may be adjusting to having a dorm room all to herself. Then again, Flora also did take some summer courses and it is possible she may have been bumped down to a Slifer or a Ra.

She can almost remember last year when they first started and Chazz challenged Crow to a duel on their first day on campus. Or when she and Crow snuck into the duel riding arena where students interested in duel boards and duel runners have their classes. Musa and Crow snuck in to see if they could ride a bike or a board. Flora went after them so they wouldn't go through with it.

They got caught. Well, she and Flora did and they had to team up in a tag team duel so they could stay at school and stay Obelisks. That's when Musa first found out about Zane, Flora's older cousin by a year or so, who is a stiff for an eight-year-old who originally thought that Flora didn't belong at Duel Academy.

Flora never really does talk about her relationship with Zane much. They're cousins, but at the same time they could almost be complete strangers. Except the fact that Zane and Crow also happen to be over protective over Flora (Crow is more prone to showing it).

 _I can tell this is going to be one dang year._ Musa thinks as she looks at her junk/stardust deck. She's back from the first-night dinner and still hasn't seen Flora. She can only hope that Flora will be in class tomorrow and will explain why she has been gone today.

* * *

On the other side of the island is an old dormitory that has long since been abandoned but the rood still intact. Inside is a way of explaining the Shadow Games and the Millennium Items, but inside the basement is a bunch of mini shadow creatures with a person in the shadows with a bird-like mask covering the first half of their face. On their left arm is a duel disk that is far too different from the issued ones by the school.

The cards in their card holder that's on their belt, is safely tucked away, but one. One that is dimming lightly in the shadows. "Don't worry my pets," the voice says. "The time will come soon enough and when it does, the key keepers will have no idea what hit them. Come, we must go meet with the others."


End file.
